This past weekend, the re-opening of The New Museum in the heart of the Bowery brought contemporary art lovers to line up outside the expanded building that is itself a marvel of modern architecture. Resembling stacked boxes which stand alongside the new Atrium Stair, the Museum now offers additional galleries, an enlarged seventh floor sky room, wall sized windows overlooking the city, and dedicated studios for artists-in-residence; an additional 60,000 square feet was added for more “exhibitions, for experimentation, and for artists to connect with audiences in exciting new ways.”
The Atrium Stair
First stop, the seventh floor to see the views, and the enlarged space, perfect for events and gatherings. Today, guests were able to sit at large tables to create their own personalized New Museum button, their own wearable work of art. A staffer mentioned that this activity was specifically set up for opening weekend, but its popularity ensured that it would return in the future.
Each Room Offers Plenty to See
Going down the exhibition floors, one by one, brought new wonders and unique sites.There was art that embraced surrealism and abstraction; large table displays with imaginary cities; a large jelly fish-balloon piece that floated along the ceiling. There were screening rooms with artful videos, primitive robots showing how far we’ve come, structures resembling parts of the human body, all falling under the exhibition theme: New Humans: Memories of the Future. Each piece, some commissioned, features artists from more than 50 countries, and their personal interpretation of the “collective fears and aspirations for new technologies.”
How Arnold became The Terminator
One popular area featured robots in the movies, such as The Terminator and Alien. We read how Arnold Schwarznegger’s movie character was created, and what inspired the artists to build the “xenomorph” or alien shape from the Alien movies.
Provocative, bewildering, and fascinating, the New Museum succeeds in encouraging guests to consider where we’ve come from, and where the technology of the future can take us.
Freeman’s Restaurant
Once guests have completed their visit, a must-visit for a post-museum-conversation must be Freeman’s, the restaurant found at the end of Freeman’s Alley, a minute walk around the corner. Just wandering the path to the front doors offers more modern art, but in the form of painted walls with graffiti and abstract themes. And inside the restaurant, founded in 2004, it has the feel of an old-timey eatery with lots of rustic wooden tables, bar, and décor.
A quick and unsubstantiated search into the Alley’s history tells us that it is a private street, and a one-time service lane for stable access and drainage.
A View from the Eatery to the Art Beyond
What is true, however, is the acknowledgement by the Museum brochure that it stands on Indigenous land, specifically that of the Lenape peoples. It’s their way to show “respect, gratitude and appreciation for the people who lived on and taken care of this place long before the Museum” came along.
While we’re on the subject history, it bears noting that term “bowery,” is Dutch for “farm,” which was its use during the 1700’s. In a way, a day trip to this Manhattan neighborhood offers an appreciation of this part of the city’s past, present, and future.
Tip: download the Bloomberg Connections app beforehand to learn more about pieces of interest, and hear the artist explain their intention, and how the piece came about.
The New Museum offers activities for families, like scavenger hunts, and an opportunity to make their very own modern art drawing. Their calendar of events is online.
Photos by MJ Hanley-Goff
